Chapter Master
Chapter Master is the protagonist of Chapter Quest who commands the Ghosts of Retribution in their task of protecting Sector Deus. His name is lost to Imperial History but his deeds speak better than any words. Physical appearance Chapter Master stands at approximately eight feet tall, almost a head taller than most Space Marines due to his unique geneseed. Like all Corax-descended astartes he has near-albino skin - making the innumerable scars that cover him highly pronouced - and his hair is pure matte black like coal and cut short. The final physical evidence of his lineage are jet-black irises. Over the years Chapter Master's appearence has endured a number of permanent alterations. During Operation Ghostly Justice he lost his right eye which was replaced with a tracker occulus - an extremely advanced artificial eye. He also lost three teeth on the eve of the same operation when Captain Brethorius decided to test his reflexes, but they have since regrown. On his right shoulder there is a Mark of Sanctioning - a psycho-active tattoo that he etched into himself with warp energies - that depicts a Raven in a star, and in the Raven's pupil is an hourglass turning backwards. This is a Mark of Fate and Time. Stats, Skills & Traits 'Traits' *'+Chosen One: [[Points of Divergence|Fate Points]]' *'+Psychic Traits:' **+Officially Sanctioned Psyker: Psy Rating 5 **+Mark of Fate and Time: +1 PR when casting Divination and Chronomancy psychic powers **+Warpsmith: Changing the workings of the Immaterium is much easier **+Mental Fortress: Resist/Ignore first roll on Perils of the Warp *'+Purity Traits:' **+Purity Power (10): Divine Wisdom: Chapter Master can reroll a single roll per session at the discretion of the GM. Costs 1 Purity. *'+Physical Traits:' **+Unnatural Strength (x2): Strength effectively doubled. **+Unnatural Toughness (x2): Toughness effectively doubled. *'+Equipment Traits:' **+Tracker Occulus (PROS: +5 to vision-based PE tests, powerful zoom, photographical capture, orbital bombardment targeter. CONS: Helmet required when underwater/high heat environments, EMP vulnerable.) **+Voughtius' Skulls: Gunskull (Melta-Pistol) and Servoskull-with-Auspex companions. *'+Scholastic Lore': **Physics **Eldar Language (Fluent) **Regicide (Expert) * +Forbidden Lore: ** Daemonology *'+Known Daemon Names': **Raz'gran, the Slayer of Fists, Bloodthirster. +1xp for every loyalist Space Marine killed, enemies get -5% to hit Chapter Master in close combat. **Cherubael, Keeper of Secrets. Allows control of Cherubael's Daemonhost and gives +15 to Charm rolls relating to seduction. *'+Other Traits' **+Digital Warrior: +20 to virtual combat tests while plugged in **+Virus: Trying to overwrite machine spirits gets +30 bonus while plugged in 'Skills' *Acrobatics Agi (+0) *Athletics S (+0) *Awareness Per (+1) *Charm Cha (+5) *Diplomacy Cha (+0) *Deceive Cha (+0) *Dodge Agi (+10) *Drive Agi (+0) *Exorcism WP (+0) *Inquiry Int (+0) *Interrogation Cha (+0) *Intimidate Cha (+2) *Leadership Cha (+17) *Literacy/Forgery Int (+0) *Logic Int (+0) *Navigation Int (+6) *Stealth Agi (+0) *Strategy Int (+10) *Tactics Int (+0) *Unarmed Warrior WS (+5) * Wrestling WS (+0) Psychic Powers *'School of Telekinesis:' Telekinesis (Primaris) *'School of Divination:' Divination (Primaris), Glimpse, Visions *'School of the Elements:' Elementalist (Primaris), Living Lightning Full list of available disciplines: Psychic Powers Equipment *Artificer Armour (12/12 Armour, 3/3 Energy) *Tracker Occulus (see Traits) * Iron Halo *Relic Plasma Pistol The Star of Macragge *Power Gladius Ironhaunt *Digi-Ring Force Shield (90% chance to stop single conventional ranged attack aimed at Chapter Master. Can be used only once before it must be recharged. On finger) *4 Frag Grenades * 2 Krak Grenades History Chapter Master was born in approximately 260.M41 in the underhives of Terra. At some point during his young adulthood he was taken by agents of the High Lords of Terra when he was discovered to possess an extremely specific genome suitable for something called the 'Chapter Master program'. Thousands of other young men with compatible genomes were also abucted and each assigned a number that replaced their former names - Chapter Master's was 5031. The entire program had been enacted at the behest of the High Lord Entyrus Zykion and overseen by Drey Kasting, and after a series of brutal trials and training Zykion himself chose 5031 as the most suitable candidate - his choice swayed in-part by discovering the young man was a latent psyker whose potential could later blossom. 5031 was put through an accelerated augmentation program using geneseed that Librarian Anterion said was rumoured to have come directly from Corvus Corax himself, who had created a single & unique set of geneseed before he departed Deliverance for the Eye of Terror. This geneseed corresponded to the Primarch himself, and the organs that could be grown with it could elavate an implantee to the levels of a Primarch (with sufficient time and experience for the organs to reach their full potential). Chapter Master's augmentation was performed by Apothecary Klementhos. With the Chapter Master created the rest of first generation of the Ghosts of Retribution were also augmented, with not only the Raven Guard but several other generous chapters (including the Imperial Fists) donating some of their newest initiates to the new founding. The first generation's augmentation was overseen by Klementhos, and their equipping overseen by the Magi Bunther and Misriah. Chapter Master meanwhile underwent his own extensive training, elavating him to the standards expected of a Space Marine Chapter Master. Their training complete, Chapter Master led his new chapter to Sector Deus where they arrived in 309.M41. He quickly formed alliaces with both Kerius Dermont and Fabricator-General Regon, allowing them to build their fortress-monastery on Mormark and cooperate with Nestorium on an STC hunt on the ork infested world of Varda respectively. Varda would later be cleansed of orks and claimed by the chapter for itself. In 317.M41 Chapter Master joined the Rogue Trader Dercius D'anger in an exploration of the Space Hulk Dark Sister, the Rogue Trader claiming that priceless treasure could be found within. The exploration itself went well - several traitor astartes of the Red Giants were killed when found aboard the hulk - but as Chapter Master moved to secure the small case of treasure the chaos marines were guarding one of Dercius' bodyguards picked it up and looked inside. Only then was the 'bodyguard' revealed to be the Eldar Farseer Adriel Evythanna, who had used her psychic power to make everyone around her see an illusion instead of her true form. The 'treasure' was also discovered to be a large cache of filled Eldar soulstones, and the visibly distressed Farseer teleported away immediately after confirming their nature. However Chapter Master seized the Eldar a moment before she teleported away was transported with her. Finding himself on board an Eldar ship and surrounded by hostile combatants Chapter Master surrendered, hoping the Eldar did not have malicious intent and that he would be able to secure his release. The Eldar took his weapons and armour (providing no replacement clothing) before confining him to quarters as the ship moved through the webway to space unknown. During his time aboard the ship a pair of mischievous Eldar Guardians activated his latent psychic powers, granting him a tenuous influence over the warp (only his strong astartes willpower allowed him to prevent the sudden power overwhelming his mind as it would with a regular human) and he also learned the basics of the Eldar language. He would then earn his freedom by beating Farseer Adriel at a game of regicide despite being totally outclassed in both skill and experience at the game (and despite being completely naked), much to the Farseer's embarrassment. After providing Chapter Master with a crucial prophecy relevent to the impending Invasion of Mormark, Adriel returned the Space Marine's armour & weapons before releasing him onto the world of Hades - by dropping him onto the ground from almost a hundred feet in the air. After barely surviving the fall Chapter Master stumbled his way around Hades for a short time, before setting out in search of an ancient Imperial cruiser that had crashed onto the planet's surface millennia ago. Unfortunately his bungled attempt at activating the cruiser's generators - in the hope of using the ship's communications array to contact his chapter - resulted in a catastrophic meltdown that detonated the ship with a titanic explosion, reducing Chapter Master to atoms in the process. Thoroughly dead, Chapter Master's soul was only spared by the whims of the Laughing God who predicted this astartes would yet have some part to play in the war against chaos. Reaching out with his own mind Chapter Master contacted the only soul he could, Adriel Evythanna, who in a moment of unexpected sympathy put Chapter Master into contact with the Harlequins. The Harlequins and their god Cegorach gave Chapter Master an offer: Cegorach would return the space marine to the realm of the living, but in return the space marine would not only lose a brother close to him but also be plagued by manic hallucinations until he repays his debt. Determined to warn his chapter of the impending invasion Chapter Master readily agreed and Cegorach respawned the astartes by warping the innards of a Mormarkian Gnar into Chapter Master's form, imbuing the Space Marine's lost soul into this fresh vessel. Chapter Master was soon found by Chief Librarian Anterion, who had recieved a vision of the Chapter Master's location. Unfortunately Anterion would quickly prove to be the brother lost in Cegorach's deal, with the Librarian's landspeeder malfunctioning and plunging to earth at top speed. Chapter Master barely escaped the doomed vessel but Anterion was impaled on it's twisted frame and killed. Chapter Master's sorrow for his dead brother quickly turned into alarm at how his chapter had changed. He had been 'dead' for over four years, and by the time of his return in 322.M41 the Ghosts of Retribution had split into a number of competing cults without his guidance. Theological arguments, fights and even honour duels were commonplace within the chapter, and one particularly ambitious marine and leader of the Soulkillers cult - Arcon - had been vying for position of Chapter Master. Chapter Master quickly put a halt to the more destructive tendencies of the cults, but could not outlaw them completely for fear of creating deep unrest. Chapter Master led the chapter in retrieving Magos Fram from the Order of Bloody Tears when the chapter confronted the Sroritas' prison-convent on Attero, earning him the contempt of Canoness Commander Engel. For this transgression against the Ecclesiarchy the chapter was taken to Imperial Court by the Order, and the sudden actions of Henrikus Isdavik put Chapter Master under intense scrutiny by all. Despite this Chapter Master immediately attempted to smuggle xenos weaponry he had just confiscated from Dresos Kand, and caught red-handed by Inquisitor Hesten. Given his recent calamitous trial Chapter Master was completely at Hesten's mercy, for the Inquisitor could demand the chapter purged and no one would be very surprised. Fortunately Hesten had better use for the chapter and immediately ordered Chapter Master to perform Operation Ghostly Justice, a mission that cost the Space Marine one of his eyes. Following Operation Ghostly Justice and Chapter Master's encounter with the Grey Knight Deiron, Chapter Master decided to perform an ad hoc sanctioning on himself using the book of Rites Deiron gave him. During the self-sanctioning Chapter Master was possessed by a daemon, and while under its influence murdered his two brothers Prinium and Inirium. However through force of will he was able to purge the daemon from himself and recover, sucessfully sanctioning himself against further daemonic incursions. In 325.M41 the Wrath fell upon Mormark in an onslaught of metal and AI from the Dark Age of Technology. Barely surviving the seemingly-unstoppable machine-army Chapter Master alone performed a daring Assault on the Wrath Mothership, saving Mormark and the Sector from the dreaded Men of Iron. Mormark was then quarantined by order of the High Lords for 50 years, for fear of any word of the Men of Iron escaping. Chapter Master would lead the unsuccessful Defence of Prothera in 326.M41, a shambolic operation that revealed a number of weaknesses in Ghosts of Retribution doctrine. Chapter Master's strategic decisions for decades to come would be influenced by his failure here. In 328.M41 warp travel mishap stranded Chapter Master and the Aspera Dominus over the forbidden world of Olympia. After exploring some of the debris above the world they are confronted by the Silent Guardians, and Chapter Master betrays Dercius D'anger to them in exchange for pardoning his own trespasses. Severe food shortages hit Mormark in 329.M41 as a result of Administratum transportation to the world being cancelled. In order to reinstate the shipments Chapter Master swears fealty to Sector Lord Larion Ursus. In 330.M41 Chapter Master led to force that confronted Captain Arcon on Inaria, who had turned renegade along with his Soulkillers. Infiltrating the Captain's innermost sanctuary Chapter Master killed the tainted Soulkiller Chaplain Tacitarius before confronting Arcon himself. The realisation that Tacitarius had been a puppet of chaos made Arcon realise his folly - for it was the honeyed words of Tactitarius that convinced him to disobey the chapter. Nevertheless irreparable rifts had formed between the Soulkillers and the rest of the chapter, so Arcon and his men - along with the Strike Cruiser Destiny - left Sector Deus to go on a penitent crusade of unspecified length. Following the reparations to Prothera's weather cathedral in 332.M41 Chapter Master discovered that Adriel Evythanna had been taken prisoner by the chaos sorcerer Ashkenor the Wrathbringer on the planet's surface, who was planning to sacrifice the Farseer in order to open a portal directly to a daemon world which would plunge the agri world into hell. He dispatched his elite revenants to recover the Farseer but Ashkenor himself escaped death through a lesser portal. Chapter Master and the Farseer conversed briefly over a prophecy concerning the rebelling penal world of Kruun, but before he had a chance to set her free by a webway gate the still-rattled Farseer suffered a severe warp perils attack and fell into a deep coma. Chapter Master led his Shadow Guard in recovering the Vindicare Ceiron from Tartarus in 333.M41, making an enemy of the powerful pirate Daikan Alepros in the process. Horim was severely wounded during the escape and was interred within a dreadnought. In 336.M41 Adriel awoke from her 4-year coma. During her time in the coma she had suffered a long series of distressing visions involving massive death and destruction of both human worlds and her own craftworld, as well as visions of the deaths of specific brothers. To worsen matters her own psychic abilities had seemingly disappeared, with any attempts to divine the future giving her only clouded hazy visions. Without her psychic powers the Farseer was forced to remain on the Aspera Dominus for the next several years, and during this time she and Chapter Master fell in love and formed an intimate relationship. Her powers began to return in 342.M41 so she departed, seeking to return to Wuxide. Chapter Master returned to the Dark Sister in 337.M41. When Ashkenor the Wrathbringer was found on-board Chapter Master decided to obliterate both him and the hulk with a cyclonic torpedo. The Dark Sister was obliterated and the sorcerer was assumed to have perished along with it. In 338.M41 the Rogue Trader Alexander Kerr entrusted Chapter Master with stewardship of Folkvangr while he was exploring Sector Corgus. Canoness Preceptor Engel - whose unusually close relationship with Kerr was revealed during the exchange - had also agreed to protect the world, but she made no secret of her hatred for Chapter Master. In 340.M41 Chapter Master commanded Varda's defence during the Betrayal at Varda. This occured in the wake of Astrobelus Kest's failed attempt to have the chapter align with the Iron Monks instead of Nestorium. The trial following the betrayal ended in the chapter's favour, but Canoness Engel pleaded with Chapter Master to spare a dozen priests he had sentenced to death. The space marine complied and after both this and the betrayal the Canoness' opinion of Chapter Master shifted from deep hatred to mere disdain. In Operation Unseen Blade Chapter Master led Void Squad against the Inquisition itself at the behest of Inquisitor Eisenhorn. This technically heretical action would be vindicated when its success bore fruit in the form of the location of Inqusitor Quixos. Eisenhorn also gave Chapter Master papers that declared him officially sanctioned, giving legal backing to his rudimentary self-sanctioning. Quixos was then eliminated by Chapter Master, Eisenhorn, and an elite Inquisition/Astartes strike force in Operation Decapitation. After returning to Sector Deus following the elimination of Quixos Chapter Master embarked on one of the Ice Wraiths' mountain treks, seeking to learn more of this secretive cult. He met the ancient World Spirit of Mormark and it gave him knowledge of the future. He attended Alexander Kerr's victory parade following his return from Sector Corgus in 347.M41, before purchasing several ancient relics from the Rogue Trader who had found them during his exploration. He also has a vision of two lost heirs of the Belisarian Dynasty, and dispatches Xyptus to track them down. Chapter Master led the highly successful Operation Wild Hunt in 348.M41. He then has the Eldar Ixadiel psychically examine certain items stolen from Larion Ursus' palace, revealing the Sector Lord to be a heretic in league with the Styrian Triarchy. In 351.M41 Chapter Master led the force that investigated the disappearence of half a company on San Larion. The Cleansing of San Larion would follow, where Chapter Master first discovered the extreme danger posed by a genestealer infestation. In 352.M41 Chapter Master went to Solstreim after a message from Xyptus indicated that The Lost Belisarian Heirs were on the planet. After some wrangling with the Inquisitorial acolyte Locke Chapter Master discovered the heirs had recently been taken by an agent of Larion Ursus - named Adrian Xerant. Chapter Master gave chase and intercepted Adrian's transport ship as it stopped over Nestorium. The lie that they could have been harbouring genestealers was enough for the transport captain to allow the Ghosts of Retribution onto his ship, and after discovering Adrian Xerant and his human cargo Chapter Master intimidated the nobleman into handing them over. Thus the Chapter came into hosting the two lost heirs of the Belisarian Dynasty - the twin brother & sister Gration & Donata. In 353.M41 Chapter Masted attended the 100th birthday celebrations of Lord Admiral Tyrel Hagen on Kinteros. In the middle of the party Chapter Master sensed a rogue psyker taking control of a small group of attending servitors, willing them to start slaughtering party guests. Chapter Master successfully destroyed the servitors, though not before they killed a pair of unfortunate Nobles. Following the disastrous party Hagen went into hiding for a few weeks, beyond the reach of the Chapter. Only a few weeks later, Chapter Master met Raven Guard chapter master Corvin Severax in uncharted space on the borders of Sector Deus. In 354.M41 Chapter Master visited Canoness Amelia Engel and shared with her his suspicions regarding Sector Lord Larion Ursus's heresy. The canoness considered his suspicions and requested further evidence before she could act. In 355.M41 Lord Admiral Tyrel Hagen was tracked to Karn Dereg. With the support of the Seventh Company and the newly hired Punisher Squad, Chaper Master extracted the Lord Admiral to safety whilst two Imperial Assassins - the Eversor Anarxio and the Vindicare Ceiron - attempted and failed to kill him. Lord Admiral Hagen then took up temporary residence with the Chapter for his own safety, as he retook control of Battlefleet Deus. Immediately following Hagen's recovery, Chapter Master travelled to the aftermath of the Battle of Sictix (355.M41) to discuss the planned overthrow of Ursus with Inquisitor Lord Tomas Garant. Garant gave terms that would have to be met for his full support in swaying the Deus Inquisition to Chapter Master's side. A few months later a distress beacon in the underhives of Hive Babelion on Tachion Primaris, that used decades-old Chapter codes, was detected. The Ghost Company and Punisher Squad investigated and discovered Lieutenant Cagirates of Larion Ursus' Honour Guard, who had defected from the Honour Guard and wished to return to the Chapter. After extracting Cagirates from among the closing net of a dozen Imperial Guard regiments (dispatched by Ursus to kill Cagirates), the marine revealed that the Honour Guard had been subverted to Larion Ursus' will by a coven of rogue witches in the Sector Lord's court, including Anastasia Belladon. Cagirates also revealed that the psyker assassin who had controlled the servitors in the attack on Lord Admiral Hagen's 100th birthday party was one of these rogue witches. In 356.M41 Chapter Master had Alderon Belladon arrange a party with his relative Anastasia. The party took place in a hive spire on Tachion Primaris and during the party Xenya Smirnova, Punisher Squad and Librarians Trianon and Laxenos discretely apprehended the Kinteros assassin witch (who Anastasia had invited). In 359.M41 Chapter Master led a coalition of various Imperial factions in deposing the Sector Lord in the Coup against Larion Ursus. Following this the young Gration Belisarius was installed upon the Sector Throne, returning the Belisarian Dynasty to power. In 363.M41 Chapter Master commanded a large portion of the Chapter in the Liberation of Triot. Working in conjunction with the newly promoted Lord General Militant Lucas Xerant and the Imperial Guard, the ork-infested industrial world was brought back into Imperial control through a brief but punishing campaign that saw vast swathes of the planet cleansed of greenskins. Gallery ChapterMaster1.JPG ChapterMaster2.JPG ChapterMaster3.JPG chaptermaster.jpg|Chapter Master beats Adriel at a game of Regicide, she was no match for his strategic girth. ChapterMaster1.png|Chapter Master with Ironhaunt and The Star of Macragge Category:Ghosts of Retribution Category:Meta Category:Space Marine Category:Chapter Master Category:Chapter Lore